There are a number of problems associated with processing tree logging debris and residue, some of which include the size of the material, damage to chipper knives by rocks and other foreign material and a general underutilization of equipment capacity. It has been found that the collection of processing recovery is affected by the size of the debris or residue material; the proportion of original residue recovered in the form of processed material being substantially lower for small diameter material.
There have been a number of proposals for handling logging residue including mobile chippers, stump splitters and the like.
Apparatus is known consisting basically of a mobile residue pickup and processing apparatus where at the front of the vehicle there is located a housing having a driven pickup assembly thereon for picking up residue such as branches, tree tops and the like left on the ground following a tree harvesting operation. The pickup apparatus operates in cooperation with cutting knives to cut up the residue into smaller pieces and means is provided to ensure the smaller cut up pieces do not accumulate and clog the passage through which they move during operation of the machine.
The aforementioned known mobile apparatus picks up the residue and reduces it to smaller pieces, the entire assembly being effectively a horizontal processing unit where the material at the front is picked up and passed horizontally through, and propelled by conveyor means to, a residue collector such as a container.